The impact and value of supply chain standards on the Australian economy: A whole of economy analysis

Commissioned by GS1 Australia, the Centre for International Economics (CIE) conducted a comprehensive analysis of the benefits of using GS1 supply chain standards on Australian economy. These standards—such as barcodes, product identifiers, and data sharing protocols—enable improved traceability, interoperability, and efficiency in supply chains.

To conduct the analysis, the CIE combined industry case studies, consultations, surveys and literature review to gather evidence and data, and used our in-house computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to quantify both the current and potential future economic impacts of GS1 standards.

The report reveals that GS1 standards currently contribute between $19 billion and $27 billion annually to Australia's GDP. These gains are driven by improvements in supply chain operations, including better inventory control, enhanced product traceability, and reduced administrative burden.

Looking ahead, the report identifies a range of potential impacts from broader adoption of GS1 standards. These will increase the GDP contribution to between $36 billion and $50 billion annually.